My First Week

I've finally arrived at Bible College! I gotta say that other than this week being filled with new people, new excitement, and new experiences, it's been quite a challenging and rewarding week. Here's brief recap of this week:

One thing's for sure about Calvary Chapel Bible College: they really take consideration for one another. Most of the week consisted of orientation about the campus rules, where everything is located, and how to get the most out of your time here. But a real chunk of it was the idea of putting others above yourself. Everything from what you wear to how you treat one another is talked about here the minute you set foot on campus. Even the staff and faculty consider the needs and hearts of the students. I have seen that they genuinely desire that each student learn and grow during their time here.
The classes the Lord has chosen for me were Christian Apologetics, the Book of Acts, the Book of Genesis, Inductive Bible Study (learning how to rightfully interpret the Bible), A Children's Ministry class, and a Worship band class. I found it interesting that they do not limit the number of students in a class, for the sole reason that they do not want to interfere with any class that God is calling a student to take.
In addition to attending classes, the entire school attends a service on Sunday nights and a devotional study three days out of the week. There is also a lecture class on Friday mornings where various speakers come in and share topics in Ministry or Theology. Every on-campus student also spends eight hours volunteering somewhere on campus, whether it is in the kitchen, the campus coffeeshop, landscaping the campgrounds, working at the campus library, or working with audio and visuals for the worship sessions. This marks the challenging and rewarding part of this semester.
So far, I am honored that the Lord Jesus called me to be at this place. The most amazing thing this week has to be in talking with students. Some are straight out of high school and have come to Bible College to spend time in the Word and be rooted in Him before pursuing a career path. The passion they have in wanting to be here, strong in the Lord or not, is both humbling and tear-jerking for me. This is definitely a place where their faith will be sincerely established.

I'm Here

More updates by end of this week, but just wanted to say... I'm here! I'm at Calvary Chapel Bible College!

Who are the People Who Have Influenced Us Most?

Today is my last day in San Francisco. I can't believe all the things that the Lord has done during my eight years here. I feel like it was only yesterday I was shared the gospel by a friend and came to know Jesus. As I leave for Bible College tomorrow, I ask myself this question that Scottish Protestant minister, Oswald Chambers, once asked himself: (and maybe you'd ask yourself this question too). Who are the people who have influenced us most?

I definitely agree with his answer below. During my time walking with the Lord, I see how He used simple, ordinary, unrecognized people in my life to recognize Himself. I can say that I came to know Jesus and continued walking with Him all these years not because of well known preachers on TV, famous Christian musicians, or life-long missionary leaders. I kept walking and I keep walking because of those who had no idea they were impacting my life in amazing ways. Jesus is correct when he says, "blessed are the poor in spirit..." (Matt. 5:3) because the poor have nothing to offer except Jesus, and Jesus was the only one I needed to receive. Examine your own life and you'll see that the most important leaps of faith, changes in season, and overcomings of sin were through the prayers and encouragements of people you'd never expect.

"Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring." - Oswald Chambers.

Follow His famous yearly devotional (it's really good): My Utmost For His Highest

Church Growth

Please pray this week for church plants that have begun in the city of San Francisco:

Calvary Road Christian Fellowship
Ministry serving the lost and searching souls in the city, under Pastor Eric Martinez. Inaugural service starts Sept. 12th at 10am. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will play the highest part in the beginning of this fellowship.
calvaryrcf.org

Calvary San Francisco
Serving the city of San Francisco, one district at a time. Service started Aug. 8th, so please keep in prayer Pastor Daniel Fusco and that their body will grow together while studying the book of Acts this month.
calvarysf.com

Also, praise the Lord for Christ Church's first year since planting their church last August! Lift up Pastors Toby Kurth and Jeff Locke and pray that the gospel will change lives for many in their congregation and that He will lead them into year two with His strength and courage on their shoulder.
christchurchsf.org

Hannah ana bo bana

Still in San Francisco:
Tonight we studied Hannah's song of praise in 1 Samuel 2 at our weekly women's Bible Study. Hannah was such a woman of God. It's so easy to dismiss her words in the Bible compared to other prayers that have made it into the Scriptures. But her words express everything; from conviction and confession of her pride and bitterness to full honor and adoration for the Lord. A barren woman, she cried out for life to form in her. God heard her, remembered her, and blessed her with a son. Later, after waiting so long for a child, she gives him up to the Lord to be raised up by the Lord in the care of Eli the priest. We discussed how difficult it must have been for her to give up her firstborn but her example teaches us that whether we have children now or in the future, they must all be "given up", in a sense, to Christ. I remember Hannah today because of what she laid at the altar. Her woes... and her blessings.

Two Weeks Away

After four years of pondering and a year of praying, I cannot believe I leave in two weeks. I will be going to Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, California. Ever since reading about it in the summer issue of Calvary Chapel Magazine (that's back in 2006), I've dreamed of seeing the campus, meeting the people there, taking the classes, and experiencing it. Finally, it is reality. I just want to thank everyone who supported me this season to make it so. And most of all... thank you, oh thank you, my Jesus.

Welcome to my blog! My prayer is that these entries will be full of what the Lord will be doing in my life at CCBC. Please visit often as I plan to update often :)

I take with me the words of Paul of Tarsus to Timothy, whom Paul said of him, "I have no one else like him" (Phil 2:20). Paul exhorts his brother in Christ by saying, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth." (2 Timothy 2:15). When God revealed this verse to me, I found out later that it was CCBC's abiding scripture. They live by this verse. It was then that my heart was compelled to live by this verse as well. May we live diligently this season and fear not the gospel that saves us, for it is and will always be Truth.